Unloading mechanism for trucks and trailers

Abstract

An unloading mechanism for a truck or trailer has a conveyor belt which runs on the bed of the truck or trailer between forward and rearward wind-up rolls. A bulkhead is attached to the conveyor belt for pushing a load out the back of the back or trailer. Extending and retracting brace rods are provided on the bulkhead for automatic extension and retraction between relatively vertical positions when the bulkhead is located at a forward loading position in the truck or trailer and relatively inclined support positions when the bulkhead moves beyond the back opening of the truck or trailer. In the relatively inclined positions, the bracing rods resist tipping of the bulkhead about its connection with the conveyor belt thereby stablizing the load pushing forces when the load is moved beyond the back end of the truck or trailer.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An unloading mechanism for a load carrying wheeled vehicle, such as a truck or trailer, which has a bed, a front wall, and a back opening through which the vehicle is to be unloaded, said mechanism including a flexible conveyor on the bed of the vehicle, a forward conveyor wind-up roll adjacent the front wall of the vehicle, a rear conveyor wind-up roll adjacent the back opening of the vehicle, a bulkhead structure attached to the conveyor for location adjacent the front wall of the vehicle when the conveyor is wound on said forward roll and for pushing a load out the back opening of the vehicle as the conveyor is wound on said rear roll, the bulkhead structure having a rear pusher element and a base extending forwardly of said pusher element, attachment means securing said base to the conveyor at a distance from the pusher element whereby the pusher element may be moved rearwardly beyond the back opening of the vehicle when pushing a load out the opening, and automatically extending and retracting elongate brace means slidably mounted on the bulkhead structure and in contact with the vehicle bed adjacent the conveyor forwardly of said pusher element for extending to a relatively inclined position and reacting against the bed of the vehicle to resist tipping of the bulkhead structure about said attachment means when the bulkhead structure pushes a load rearwardly beyond said opening, and for retracting to a relatively vertical position when the bulkhead structure is located adjacent the front wall of the vehicle to minimize the lengthwise space occupied thereby. 
     
     
       2. A mechanism as defined in claim 1 wherein the bracing means comprises a pair of bracing rods which straddle the conveyor and rest on the bed of the vehicle outside opposite edges of the conveyor respectively, the rods being received in respective lengthwise slots formed in the bulkhead structure forwardly of said pusher element and spaced above the base of the bulkhead structure. 
     
     
       3. A mechanism as defined in claim 2 wherein the bulkhead structure has a pair of arms extending forwardly from the pusher element above the base and wherein said slots are formed in said arms. 
     
     
       4. A mechanism as defined in claim 3 wherein each rod is provided with a transversely extending pin adjacent an upper end of the rod for engaging the respective arm and preventing the rod from sliding out of its respective slot. 
     
     
       5. A mechanism as defined in claim 4 wherein the bulkhead structure includes support members connected between the base and the respective arms. 
     
     
       6. A mechansim as defined in claim 1 wherein the conveyor is a conveyor belt.